This publication, which is based on the experiences gained in a workplace literacy program for learning-disabled workers at a paper factory in Massachusetts, is designed as a beginners' guide to identifying and addressing issues of learning disabilities in the adult education classroom. Section 1 defines the term "learning disability,"…

In November 1996, the National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education arranged a conference on the theme "Museums and Adults--Partners in Learning" held at the British Museum. The conference was attended by numerous local authorities and various adult education organizations, including the Workers' Educational Association (WEA).…

Jack Mezirow's theory of transformative learning has evolved into a description of how learners learn by integrating new knowledge with their existing knowledge, beliefs, and experiences. Centrality of experience, critical reflection, and rational discourse are three common themes in Mezirow's theory, which is based on psychoanalytic theory and…

The learning that parents accomplish through informal involvement in running preschool learning groups was examined through a survey of adults who were actively involved in a Pre-School Learning Alliance program in 1 of 10 locations throughout England. Of the 632 adults contacted, 311 (nearly 50%) completed questionnaires. Approximately 60…

The mechanisms by which adults acquire vocabulary and the relationship between adults' ability to acquire vocabulary and their method of processing information were the subjects of this study. Theoretical bases of the study were ideas from cognitive psychology, particularly the work of Sternberg. Subjects were preservice education majors and…

A study examined the relationship between the motives and needs of 658 adult students enrolled in a Dutch adult high school program and the curricular and instructional design of an educational reform--an open learning program. The population was all 4,442 adult learners in 3 schools who started an open learning experiment. When the students…

Writings in the field of human development and learning in the adult years can be integrated into a simple theory. A theory is defined as a policy, hypothesis, or set of principles used or proposed as a basis for action. The adult years are defined as a time in which one makes choices with a degree of maturity and wisdom and assumes responsibility…

The use of closed-caption television (CCTV) to help teach English as a Second Language (ESL) to adults was studied with a group of adult students in the Arlington, Virginia, Education and Employment Program. Although CCTV is designed for the hearing impaired, its combination of written with spoken English in the visual context of television makes…

This handbook was written specifically for volunteer tutors but is appropriate for teachers, student interns, coordinators, and others working with Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) adult learners. It presents an overview of adult and non-traditional education models, some principles of reading and writing, a…

A study replicated portions of the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council's pilot study that addressed the effectiveness of small group instruction. The study contrasted reading proficiency gain and personal goals accomplishment across two instructional modes: small group and traditional one-to-one instruction. Three group instruction sites were…

The principles of andragogy, as explained by M. S. Knowles, in contrast to pedagogy, provide a frame of reference for a differentiated approach to inservice teacher education. Adults are self-directing and ready to learn when they experience a need to know or do something, are life-, task-, or problem-centered, are motivated by both internal and…

This book addresses a wide range of reading needs by providing exercises that focus on comprehension and word strategies. It also provides an instructional process for meeting those needs. The instructional process is individualized, and is designed to: (1) assess initial reading competence; (2) direct learners to the chapters specifically related…

In almost all its aspects, radiologic technology education is adult education. Boyle's (1981) adult learning model has four components: (1) the learner in terms of motivation; (2) learning as a change process; (3) the experiential role of education; and (4) the facilitative role of the educator. Andragogy, as defined by Knowles (1977, 1980), is a…

The English Language Institute (ELI) at Alaska Pacific University provides an intensive academic program designed primarily to prepare foreign students for successful participation in undergraduate or graduate programs. Students from the local international community have also been admitted to the program. These students have motivations, language…

The research literature on aging was reviewed to determine findings with direct implications for educational programs for older persons and findings with no direct application but that raise further research questions. The focus was on cognition and learning in later life, predominantly on work published during the past two decades in major…